Turkish Police Wage New Crackdown On Military

Reports from Turkey say police have searched the homes of dozens of former military personnel in a new probe against the military.

Authorities said an arrest warrant has been issued for the suspects, including retired General Cevik Bir, for attempting to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 1997.

Earlier this month, Turkey put two elderly leaders of a 1980 military coup on trial.

Dozens of suspects, including active and retired military officers, academics, journalists, and lawyers are separately on trial for allegedly plotting to topple the government.

Tensions have been high for years between the military, which sees itself as the guardian of secularism in Turkey, and Erdogan’s government and his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has been in power since 2002.